Wednesday, December 21, 2011

I’d been ignoring her cries all morning, her pleads to be picked up and carried around.

Busy with chores, and breakfast, and refereeing the older three, until finally she cornered me in my room. Her tiny hand reached up to grab my finger, her sweet little face pulling at my heart. Momma, momma.

I pulled her into my arms, sat in the old rocker, and hummed quietly in her ear. As if to tell me it wasn’t enough, she hopped down from my lap and ran to the door, shutting it tight, closing us off from the noise below. Once again in my arms, with her thumb in her mouth, blankie at her side, Momma, momma.

Yes, my love. I will hold you in this moment, right here in the quiet and calm. The laundry and cleaning can wait. But you will slip through my arms too quickly. This moment will fade all too fast.

She offers to stir, and swirls the mixture of herbs and sweetness, pausing after a little spills over.

Sorry, Mom. I should slow down.

I think that all I want is to slow down. To just take it all in, and breathe in these moments, this perfume of life, as sweet and herby as it is. We laze at the table, a stack of books to the side, slurping our tea, and pointing our pinkies just so. Like a princess does. She models my motions, and drinks when I do, watching carefully so as not to miss a beat, and I pretend not to notice her contemplate me while I read. Instead, I am wondering what fascinates her about me. I am an ordinary woman, with simple looks, a quick temper, and a pushy personality. Nothing, in my eyes, worth imitating. Nothing fancy, or glamorous, or interesting.

The mound of books gets smaller, and we read until it’s gone, all the while sipping and smiling, her following me. Until the last drop is finished, and she runs off to play, and I am left to ponder…

I start to see, to understand, and become overwhelmed at the significance of her mimicking me. How did I earn this right as mother? So precious are these littles whose lives I am to shape.

Thinking of Mary, mother to the Christ, an ordinary woman, who found favor with the Lord. Who loved the Lord, faithfully serving Him alone. How did she earn such an honor, to birth The King, The Lord Redeemer, who came as person from heaven? Just a babe, born in a barn full of filth and noise. Swaddled in scraps of cloth, his tender flesh to lay on mounds of scratchy, dirty hay. Nothing fancy, or glamorous about that either…

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.

– Luke 1:46-49

Me, an ordinary woman, serving an extraordinary God. I know I am the light they see, His Holy Spirit shinning through me. I am the one, who they will model after, until the day they can choose to model Christ. The fascination that she holds, has to be for the Christ I show to her. His words modeled in my actions. Oh how I need my Lord to teach me how to do this…

Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, LORD, are good. –Psalm 25:4-7

just me. an ordinary momma. my extraordinary God, who graciously fills in the gaps.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Full of vibrant, beautiful illustrations, the classic children’s Christmas book,

The Polar Express has always been a family favorite.

Here’s the Sanchez spin on the book…

I’d been out Christmas shopping most of the day, leaving the kids at home with Saul. We’d been planning to have this special night, and surprise the kids with a new family tradition. I made up these Minivan Express Tickets, and placed one on each of the kids’ bed. They thought they were going to get ready for bed, but instead found these tickets!

I made up a huge batch of cinnamon popcorn, and threw some goodies into bags. Then I mixed up some mugs of hot cocoa for each of them too.

Once their tickets were punched, they loaded into the Minivan Express! Sipping on the cocoa, and nibbling the popcorn, we drove around to look at Christmas lights, and then headed off to see the Big Man,

ol’ Santa himself!

Tickets punched, hot cocoa in hand, and ready to board the Minivan Express!

My Favorites…

Fun playing outside!

So The Baby has decided that she no longer wants to sleep in her crib.
Climbing out is a regular occurrence now, and she has gotten so sly and sneaky,
that often we don’t know she has climbed out until we check on her
later in the evening when we go to bed.
This was one night we found her asleep on the floor.
Other nights, she has been in her sisters bed, or curled up in the corner of the room.
I have also found her wondering the house at night, and once she was
sitting by the Christmas Tree at 3:30 in the morning.
This is new territory for me, as none of the other kids did this!